NutraSolutions: Emerging Health Benefits for TRADITIONAL NUTRIENTS -- January 2011
Dietary vitamins and minerals have been studied for decades, initially for the treatment of deficiency diseases related to their essentiality, but later, for their impact on chronic conditions. They have been most recently recognized for their beneficial roles in such areas as weight loss, age-related macular degeneration and even fertility. Here, the focus is on new findings for vitamins A, C, D and E, and minerals, including calcium, selenium and zinc, as well as more recent entries into the field of nutritional sciences--pre- and probiotics, and omega fatty acids.
Oxidative Stress Antioxidants protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, which are molecules that contain an unshared electron and react rapidly with oxygen to form reactive oxygen species (ROS)1. Many of the protective effects of certain vitamins, as well as minerals, such as zinc and selenium, can be attributed to their ability to act as antioxidants, or in conjunction with antioxidants, and protect cells from the damaging effects of ROS.